Knitting machines



July 29, 1969 J. J. MILLAR KNITTING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 30, 1965 mnwm on INVENTOR R 3% W W My 1w MN July 29, 1969 J. J. MlLLAR KNITTING MACHINES v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 30, 1965 wow R mA N L W W M ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,457,734 KNITTING MACHINES John J. Millar, Laconia, N.H., assignor to Scott & Williams, Incorporated, Laconia, N.H., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Mar. 30, 1965, Ser. No. 443,860 Int. Cl. D04b 9/24, 9/48 U.S. Cl. 66-42 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A two-feed circular knitting machine is provided with two selecting means preceding each of the feed points to control the paths of needles approaching each feed point. The selecting means operate independently of each other. The second in the sequence of approach is capable of modifying selections effected by the first. The two selecting means in advance of each feed point are etfective to produce approach of needles to that feed selectively at low level without clearing to prevent the seizure of yarn, at tuck level without clearing, at a low clear level for selective seizure of yarn, or at a high clear level to seize any yarns fed at the feed. Each of the selecting means comprises pattern jacks and cams operable thereon. The pattern jacks are tiltable, and movable members are provided for guidance of the lower portions of the jacks to position them selectively either for selection or, nonselection.

This invention relates to knitting methods and machines and has particular reference to the production of elaborate patterning possibilities when knitting multifeed.

While the invention is particularly applicable to machines for knitting hosiery, it will become evident hereafter that it is more broadly applicable. In accordance with the invention, plain, tuck and welt stitches may be produced in any sequence on all needles at at least two feeds. When a plurality of yarn is fed at one or more feeds, float and plain stitches can be produced in combination with either tuck or welt stitches in any sequence on all needles at both of two feeds. While the invention will be described in its application to two feed machines, it will become apparent that it may be extended to machines having more than two feeds.

Special or fancy stitch combinations have been limited in their scope of production on hosiery machines. In accordance with the invention, elaborate patterns may be produced with needle selection systems which from the standpoint of elemental operations are known and highly reliable.

The special stitch combinations which may be produced are advantageous not only for production of visible and attractive patterns but for the achievement of run-resistance, coursewise stretch control, etc.

In brief, considering two-feed machines, there are provided two selection points ahead of each feed, each involving an associated pattern selector drum or trick wheel of conventional type, such as is described in Lawson Patent 2,780,931.

The broad objects of the present invention have to do with the achievement of the results generally indicated above, and these and other objects will become apparent from the following description, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an inside development of the cam rings controlling cylinder elements; and

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal section showing, in particular, certain cams for controlling pattern jacks.

It will be understood that the machine illustrated is of generally conventional type used for the production of 3,457,734 Patented July 29, 1969 two feed hosiery with reciprocatorily knit heels and toes.

In view of this fact, the disclosure, for simplicity, is limited to a showing and discussion of only those elements of such a machine as are novel and particularly concerned with the achievement of the special objects of the invention. It will become evident that the invention is applicable to hosiery machines in which stocking blanks are formed by rotary knitting only, without reciprocation for the production of heel and toe pockets. Furthermore, as already indicated, it will become evident that the invention is applicable to machines having more than two feeds.

Referring specifically to the drawings, and particularly to FIGURE 1, a needle cylinder assembly is shown at the right of that figure as comprising a rotary and reciprocatory needle cylinder 2 provided with the usual slots 4 in which slide the latch needles 6 and associated jacks. The needles 6 are provided with butts 8 which, as usual, are differentiated in length to provide for the needle separation involved in the formation of heel and toe pockets. The particular formations of heels and toes need not be described since they are entirely conventional.

Below the needles are the intermediate jacks 10, one

for each needle, provided with the usual operating butts 12. Beneath these are the pattern jacks 14, also individual to the needles. These pattern jacks are arranged to have their lower ends moved selectively inwardly and outwardly, and in the present case differ from pattern jacks of more conventional type in that they are straight and of free sliding type, i.e., they are not bent for frictional engagement with the cylinder slot walls. The upper ends 16 of these pattern jacks are confined within a ring 18 with slight freedom so that they may be tilted as will become apparent hereafter. These jacks are provided with upper and lower control butts 20 and 22 the latter being provided with lower notches 24 for proper engagement with cams. Below each lower butt 22 there is an extension 26 by which group movements are effected.

Each pattern jack is provided with frangible sawtooth butts 28 which may be selectively removed to provide for pattern selection. In order to provide for a great variety of selection possibilities, these butts 28 may be provided at a large number of levels, there typically being sixty such levels.

Associated with the needles and extending therebetween are conventional sinkers 30 provided with butts 32 and mounted for radial sliding movements in the usual sinker ring 34. Sinker cams 36 and 38 control movements of the sinkers in conventional fashion.

For the formation of ladies hosiery, the machine will be provided with the usual dial carrying convention transfer elements operated in the usual fashion to produce turned welts. Various other elements of conventional machines will be understood to be present, for example, takeup devices, yarn clamping and cutting devices, and the like. Overall control is through the usual pattern chain and main cam drum, the latter controlling the shift between rotary and reciprocatory knitting. The present invention is concerned primarily with the selective controlling of needles, and the various elements involved in this operation may now be described with particular reference first to the cam development in FIGURE 1.

Two feedpoints are provided as indicated generally at 40 and 42, the former having associated with it yarn feeding fingers of any desired number of which two are shown at 44 and 44'. At the latter feedpoint yarn feeding fingers 46 and 46' are shown though there may be more. Arrangement and control of these are conventional. The yarns feed to the needles from the throat plates 48 and 50 provided in the usual latch ring 52. Fingers are so arranged, as is usual, so that needles moving at one height may engage all yarns being fed while those at a lower height may engage one and miss another.

Rotation of the needles and their associated elements through the cams takes place in a counterclockwise direction as indicated by the arrow in FIGURE 1. Associated with the main feedpoint is the usual forward stitch cam 54 preceded by the center cam 56 which is mounted to rock between the full line position and the dotted line position 56' for proper control of the needles with adequate path clearances consistent with the closely located stitch cams. The reverse stitch cam is made up of two parts 58 and 60, the former of which is radially movable so that it may be rendered selectively active or inactive.

Raising pickers of conventional type and operation are indicated at 62 and 64, while the lowering picker is illustrated at 66. Landing cams 68 and 70 are associated with the forward and reverse stitch cam, respectively.

At the auxiliary feed there are provided the needle lowering cams 72, 74 and 76, there being associated with the last the landing cam 78.

Beyond the stitch cam 54- there is provided the radially movable cam arranged to raise needles to tuck level, and this, in turn, is followed by the radially movable raising cam 82 to move needles to cleared level. Following this is a cam 84 which is arranged to lower needles. At the auxiliary feed there is provided the raising cam 86 arranged to raise needles at its upper portion 90 to tuck level, and this is followed by the radially movable lowering cam 92. Above the cam 86 there is provided the needle raising cam 88 which is radially movable.

Radially movable cam 94 clears needles from welt or tuck level during plain knitting when needles are not cleared by jack action, and cam 96 is the conventional switch raising cam. Cam 98 is the conventional gusset lowering cam. A needle lowering cam'100 is radially movable and is provided to lower needles for engagement by the cam 58.

During reciprocatory knitting, when the needles are moving clockwise through the cams, raising is effected, after knitting, by the radially movable cam 104. Needle lowering cams are provided at 106 and 108, both being radially movable. Cam 106 is used to locate needles at a low cleared height during rotary knitting. It is withdrawn during reciprocatory knitting but at termination of this it is inserted to lower high inactive needles into knitting position. Also involved are the cams 110 and 112 for acting on needle butts.

The cams acting on the butts 12 of the intermediate jacks 10 are as follows:

A radially movable cam 116 lies above and preceding the fixed cam 118, and the intermediate jacks following these cams are lowered by the fixed cams 120 and 122. The inner face of cam 124 prevents tilting of intermediate jacks. Lowering of intermediate jacks is effected by cam 126. A cam 128 is arranged to divide the intermediate jacks and is provided with a rise 130 to act on the jacks which move above 128. A radially movable cam 132 is provided preceding the fixed cam 134. Successive lowering cams 136 and 138 follow the cams 130, 132 and 134. A dividing cam 140 is provided at the right-hand end of cam 118.

Provided to act on the butts 20 of the pattern jacks are the cams 142, 144, 146, 148 and 150, all of which effect lowering action.

The cams which selectively act on the sawtooth butts 28 are shown in the groups 152, 154, 156 and 158. The cams 152 and 154 control needle selections preceding the main feed while the groups 156 and 158 control needles following the main feed and preceding the auxiliary feed. Only the active ends of these cams are illustrated, and it will be understood that they are conventionally carried by levers which are acted upon by selectively removable butts on elements carried by trick wheels, there being a trick wheel corresponding to each of the groups 152, 154, 156 and 158. These trick wheels are conventional both in construction and operation and need not be described. Stepping of the trick wheels may be elfected once for each revolution of the needle cylinder or alternatively twice or four times per revolution, depending on the patterning desired, and, as conventional, arrangements are provided for interrupting such stepping and for retiming, interruption occurring, for example, during the formation of heels, and retiming taking place during the formation of toes. It is usual to have one or two of such trick wheels controlling cams which in turn control and elfect movements of butts such as those indicated at 28, or butts of other types on tiltable pattern jacks. The difference over such machines is that in the present case there are two trick wheels independently controlling separate sets of cams for acting on the sawtooth butts preceding each feed. Dual controls are thus provided to secure, in association with other means, the special results in accordance with the present invention.

For action upon the lower butts 22 the following elements are provided:

Cams 162, 164, 166 and 168 are effective to raise pattern jacks by engagement in the notches 24, the active edges of these cams being bevelled to provide raising without disengagement. Cams 170, 172, 174 and 176 are arranged to engage the butts 22 to move inwardly the lower ends of the pattern jacks which are not raised by the selector cams for the sawtooth butts. Slide 180 is provided with a groove 188 for the reception of the lower ends 26 of the pattern jacks. These slides are radially movable, the needle cylinder being cut away as indicated at 190 to permit the necessary radial movement.

The grooves in the other slides, corresponding to 188 of slide 180, are shown in FIGURE 2 at 192, 194 and 196. As illustrated, these grooves have outwardly flared openings at their ends for the guidance of the lower ends 26 of the jacks thereinto and for freedom of movement under the actions of the cams 170, 172, 174 and 176.

The various slides are similarly mounted and reference need only be made to the mountings and associated elements of slide 184 for which the elements are most visible. The guide for the slide is shown at 198, and the slide is normally urged inwardly by a spring 200 acting on a plunger 201 engaging a shoulder on the slide. A stop screw 202 is threaded in the outer end of the slide and held in adjusted position by a screw 203. It limits inward movement of the slide by abutment with the end of the guide 198. A stop screw 204 provided with a head passes through a clearance opening in the outer end of the slide and is threaded into the guide 198, being held in adjusted position by a screw 205. The head of screw 204 limits outward movement of the slide. At its outer end the slide has an upward projection 206 engageable by the nose of a lever 208 pivoted at 210, which lever may be rocked to move the slide outwardly under control of the main cam drum through a link 212 and its conventional connections to a follower for corresponding cams on the main cam drum. The other slides have similar stops and lever and link controls differing in details of structure for convenience of connection and prevention of interference with other parts. The main drum controlled links for the other sides are 214, 216 and 218, respectively.

In FIGURE 2 the slides 180 and 184 are illustrated in their active, i.e., outer, positions. The other two slides are shown inactive.

At this point it will be convenient to describe the local operations associated with the control of jacks by these slides.

It may be noted that prior to the points of selection by the cams 152, 154, 156 and 158 all jacks are in the lowermost positions by reason of the previous actions of the cams 142, 144, 148 and 150 on their butts 20. Their lower ends 26 are, accordingly, engaged in the slots of the various sliders 1'80, 182, 184 and 186. If any of these sliders is in its radially innermost position the jacks engaged thereby will miss all selector cams. Irrespective, therefore, of the relative configuration of sawtooth butts 28 and the selecting cams there will be no selection. In other words, the inner position of a slide negatives selection.

If any of the slides is in its outer position, selection is possible. If no sawtooth butt 28 is engaged by a selection cam, a pattern jack will remain low, and as it passes one of the cams 170, 172, 174 or 176, corresponding to the selecting point under consideration, it will be pushed inwardly so that its butt 22 will not be engaged by the next following raising cam 162, 164, 166 or 168.

On the other hand, if in the case of a particular jack one of its sawtooth butts 28 engages a selector cam, it will be raised sufficiently to move the lower edge of its butt 22 above the level for the corresponding cam of the group 170, 172, 174 and 176, so that the lower end of the pattern jack remains in a sufliciently outward position that the lower notch 24 of its butt 22 will engage and ride up the corresponding raising cam 162, 164, 166 or 168.

After a jack is raised and later depressed to its lowermost position it is guided inwardly into the flaring entrance of the slot 188, 192, 194 or 196 of the next slide irrespective of the position of the slide, the guidance being effected by a contoured recess such as 199 which slopes downwardly and inwardly and acts on the tail 2-6 of the pattern jack.

Hereafter for simplicity the particular selection actions will not be repeated, and it will be understood that where reference to the selection of a jack is made there is meant an operation which results in its riding up one of the cams 162, 164, 166 or 168. It will be understood that where a jack is referred to as not selected, the nonselection may be due either to the inner position of one of the slides engaging lower ends of the pattern jacks or to the nonengagement of any sawtooth butt 28 by a selector cam at a selection point. There will now be described the various operations which result from selection or non selection at the various selecting points.

In considering matters of selection, it will first be assumed (unless otherwise noted) that cams 94, 96, 98, 100, 104, 58, 80, '81, 82, 88 and 108 are withdrawn so as not to engage needle butts. Some of these cams are involved only during reciprocatory knitting, or are for the purpose of shifting needles for changes between rotary and reciprocatory knitting. Others effect needle movements overriding or modifying needle movements which may be produced by pattern jack selection. In what follows alternate operations involving selective positioning of cams 116, 132, 80 and 92 will be described. All of the radially movable cams are controlled between active and inactive positions by the main cam drum of the machine in conventional fashion.

It will be noted that in what follows all of the needles move below, and are accordingly joined at, the stitch cams 54 and 76. All of the intermediate jacks join below cams 126 and 138. All of the pattern jacks are brought to their lowest positions prior to each selection point.

Consideration will first be given to what occurs to needles which are not selected.

If needles enter the right-hand side of FIGURE 1 at welt or low level by reason of the location of cam 92 in its active position, and if they are not selected at any of the selection points, they move at this level until they are slightly lowered by cam 60 and thence move at substantially constant level, though they may be slightly raised at cam 68, until they are raised over cam 86 and at 90 reach tuck level, whereupon they are depressed by cam 92. Thus they enter the right side of FIGURE 1 at the lowermost level above mentioned. If, however, they enter the right-hand side of FIGURE 1 at tuck level, by reason of the fact that cam 92 is inactive, they will remain at this level until they reach stitch cam 54, by which cam they are lowered to cast off position, thereafter following the same path as before, being either lowered by, or passing, cam 92, depending on its position.

Considering selection by one of the cams 152, and first assuming cam 116 out of action, the rise of a selected pattern jack over cam 168 positions an intermediate jack to rise above the point 140 of cam 118 so that this jack will rise over cam 118, and will then be depressed by cam 122 to pass under cam 124. Thereupon it will be lowered to its lowermost position by cam 126. If the corresponding needle enters the right of FIGURE 1 at the low welt level, it will be raised to tuck level by the intermediate jack in its passage over cam 118, and the needle will remain at this level until it engages and rides down stitch cam 54. If the needle entered the right-hand side of FIG- URE 1 at tuck level it will merely remain at this level. The level of its entry will depend upon whether or not cam 92 is active.

In contrast, if cam 116 is in its active position, following the selection as above described, the intermediate jack will rise higher over cam 116 to move the corresponding needle, irrespective of its entry level, to a cleared height. The needle will then be lowered to low cleared level by cam 106, and will then move at this level until it engages the stitch cam 54.

The foregoing operations assume no selection by any cam at 154. The needles, cleared or not cleared as described will take a yarn fed at a low level, as by finger 44, at the first feed, but because of their tuck or low cleared level will miss any yarn fed at a higher level, as by finger 44'. The operation will thus produce a float of the last mentioned yarn.

Considering next a selection of a pattern jack by one of the cams 154, the selected pattern jack will rise over the cam 162, and in so doing will raise an intermediate jack over the cam 124. This rise will raise the associated needle to a high clear level irrespective of whether the needle was previously at welt level or at tuck level, and the needle will then move at this level to be first depressed by center cam 56 and then by stitch cam 54. By reason of its approach to these cams at the high clear level it will take any yarns fed at the first feed.

As previously pointed out, all of the needles join below stitch cam 54, so that this stitch cam establishes an entrance level for the selection by a cam 156. If a pattern jack is selected by a cam 156, it will rise over cam 164, and this rise locates intermediate jack 10 above the point 128 of cam 130. It may be noted that this selection occurs in advance of the stitch cam 54, but the effect of the selection is delayed, the positioning of the selection point being merely a matter of convenient spacing. The selected intermediate jack in rising over earn 130 raises its associated needle to a high cleared level and the needle passes above cam 84 to engage successively cams 72, 74 and 76 which conjointly provide the stitch cam at the second or auxiliary feed. By reason of the approach to the auxiliary feed at the high cleared level, any yarns which are fed thereat are seized by the needles.

If selection is effected by a cam 158, the selected pattern jack rises over cam 166, and alternative operations occur depending on whether cam 132 is in action or out of action. If cam 132 is in action, the associated intermediate jack is raised to a level to engage and ride upwardly over cam 132. In this rise it raises its associated needle to a cleared level, and the needle is then lowered to low cleared level by cam 84 and is then further lowered by cams 74 and 76. By reason of its approach to the feed at low cleared level, it will take only such yarn or yarns as are fed at low level, missing any yarns fed at a higher level. Thus'the latter yarn or yarns will be floated.

It may be noted that the selections just described may be from the welt level, resulting from passage under the main feed stitch cam, or from tuck level if the cam had been in action.

If the cam 132 was out of action, selection by a cam 158 would raise an intermediate jack to engage the cam 134 over which it would rise to raise its associated needle only to tuck level, the needle then passing below cam 84 to engage, successively, cams 74 and 76 to take yarns fed at low level at the auxiliary feed.

From the foregoing it will be evident that irrespective of selection or nonselection at any selection point, a pattern jack may be selected or not selected at any or all of the following selection points; what occurs in the case of the corresponding needles depends, of course, on What previously happened to the needles. If selection to a high cleared position is effected, this, of course, overrides a possible previous selection to a low cleared level or to a tuck level. Similarly, raising of a needle to a low cleared height may negative a previous movement to a tuck height. But it will be seen that an extreme variety of combinations of operations may be secured giving rise to stitch construction in great variety, the stitch formation being composed variously of ordinary stitches of one, two or more yarns, tuck stitches, welt stitches and/or floats all of which may be produced at either of the feeds. From the standpoint of stitch formation, the machine has practically a universality of choice. In connection with these stitch formations, conventional other manipulations may be achieved: for example, different lengths of stitches may be drawn with robbing of yarn by one stitch from adjacent stitches, by utilizing such known procedures as selectively drawing stitches over the backs of sinkers, by providing the needles with stepped butts to produce yam drawing of various extents from needle to needle, or the like.

It will also be evident that the patterning controls which have been described are completely consistent with other operations involved in the formation of stockings, and may be viewed as completely substitutable for the more limited patterning controls which have been heretofore used.

It will be evident that various details of operation and construction may be modified, including omission of certain of the possible operations already described, without departing from the invention as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A circular knitting machine comprising a needle cylinder, needles mounted for independent movements in said cylinder, yarn feeding means at at least two feed points, means associated with each of said feed points moving needles to seize and draw yarn fed thereat, and two selecting means preceding each of said feed points to control the paths of needles approaching said feed point, the two selecting means preceding each feed point operaing independently of each other but with the second in the sequence of approach capable of modifying at least some paths of needles which would otherwise be determined by the first, the two selecting means in advance of each feed being eflFective to produce approach of needles to that feed selectively at low level without clearing to prevent seizure of yarn, at tuck level without clearing, at a low cleared level for selective seizure of yarn, or at a high cleared level to seize any yarns fed at that feed.

2. A circular knitting machine according to claim 1 in which pattern jacks carrying butts are individually associated with said needles for control of needle movements, and in which each of said selecting means comprises a set of cams selectively operable to engage butts on the pattern jacks to impart selective movements thereto.

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WILLIAM CARTER REYNOLDS, Primary Examiner 

